David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Health if he will advance an inquiry into nursing homes during the pandemic to address significant and particular shortcomings across that sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7555/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to again express my sympathy to all those who lost loved ones during the pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic, the national response has continuously evolved to take account of emerging evidence and learnings both nationally and internationally. Throughout, this has included a specific focus on older people, in particular, those resident in nursing homes.

Significant supports were put in place for nursing homes, and the situation at both a local and a national level was kept under ongoing and active review. An independent Nursing Homes Expert Panel was established early in the pandemic to examine the management of COVID-19 in nursing homes and provide real-time learnings and recommendations to inform the ongoing response. The Expert Panel reported in August 2020 and significant progress has been made in implementing its recommendations.

The Taoiseach has indicated that a comprehensive evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19 will be established in 2023. It will provide an opportunity to learn lessons from our experiences in dealing with a pandemic and it will help ensure that we are in a better, stronger position if another pandemic or another similar type emergency arrives.

My colleague the Minister for Health has already stated that a review of the management and impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes is warranted. Given the Taoiseach’s most recent commitments to establish a COVID-19 evaluation process in 2023, it is appropriate that any review of the experience in nursing homes should be considered in the first instance as part of this proposed process. The model for this process is under consideration.